Bvlgari Diagono Chronograph GMT X-Pro

The new Bvlgari Diagono Chronograph GMT X-Pro watch looks like a piece of techno music mixed by a German deejay. You probably do know the German way of creating a techno mix,

(1) get a number of latest hits,
(2) throw in some drums,
(3) add a bass guitar, and
(4) add some repetitive incentive lyrics, like “Put your hands up in the air! Put your hands up! In the! Air!”
(5)…
(6) Profit!

That is exactly how the GMT X-Pro was made.

Its partly PVD-coated bezel comes from Bulgari’s Pro Aria family of watches; a set of semi-skeletonized hands can be attributed to their Pro Terra DG 40 G CH model, but is also clearly inspired by the Hublot‘s iconic Big Bang series of sporty chronographs; and the overall layout of the watch encased in a huge 45 mm body makes me think about some of Breitling’s timepieces (their relatively recent Avenger Seawolf Chrono Blacksteel chronograph is the first model that comes to mind.)

Inside this chimera of a watch ticks an automatic chronograph caliber. Called Bvlgari BVL312, it is in fact a COSC-certified version of the well-known Valjoux 7750 base movement with a La Joux-Perret add-on GMT module. Some bloggers call this device exclusive. However, by the looks of it, the GMT unit may be identical (or is very closely related) to the one installed in Ebel’s pretty dated 1911 BTR GMT Chronograph watch, which is also powered by ETA’s omnipresent 7750 powerplant.

The remarks above don’t mean to put the mechanism into negative light: the ETA 7750 is a very reliable and dependable mechanism, while La Joux-Perret is a highly reputable maker of complications that sells its modules to serious brands. However, its main problem that the movement still sports the same standard layout as the base caliber.

Hence, the rather standard layout of the dial. If you will take a look at the photos, you will see that the GMT X-Pro features a well-known tri-compax chronograph combination with a 12-hour sub-dial at 6 o’clock, a 30-minute totalizer at 3 o’clock and a small seconds sub-dial at 9 o’clock. The central second hand counts seconds when the chronograph is on. As usual, the small date window is located between 4 and 5 o’clock positions.

What’s really interesting about GMT X-Pro is that this watch features not two, but three time zones! Besides the usual 24-hour scale on the outer part of the dial, it also has a second 24-hour scale on its rotating bezel! Click the bezel to a desired position and the extra hour hand will show you current time in one more cities of your interest! Well, maybe there may be too many exclamation signs in just one paragraph, since Bvlgari has already employed the same scheme in a number of its other GMT Pro watches.

Yes, like with German music, the GMT X-Pro is not particularly original, not to say — inspired, but the beat kinda makes you wanna dance, if you know what I mean.

At this time, the Italian brand offers the new wristwatch at a recommended street price of $15,500. This is, of course, a matter of personal tastes matching the thickness of your wallet, but, frankly I find the price a bit steep for a combination of a mass-produced (however good reputation it enjoys) movement with a pretty simple stainless steel body.